Sunday, July 19, 2015

It Would Be Good

My current foray into the Hit Parade has lingered well past No. 33 on my '90s countdown. Today I'm listening to the first full-length album from Jessica Griffin's Would-Be-Goods. 'The Camera Loves Me' was a big listen for me when it came out in 1988, and what brought me to the album was that Griffin was backed by the Monochrome Set. If you listen with a keen ear, I think you can really pick out the fellas, especially if you're familiar with their 1985 album 'The Lost Weekend.' Bid, frontman and songwriter for the Monochrome Set, would go on to produce the Would-Be-Goods' followup, 'Mondo,' in 1993. So, where does the Hit Parade's Julian Henry fit into all of this? He arranged most of the songs on 'The Camera Loves Me,' including the two featured here. With so many of my favorite musicians involved, how could I not think this is lovely?

"The Camera Loves Me"
"Pinstriped Rebel"

5 comments:

kevinpat said...

Sorry Bri. Don't know about these tracks. I sometimes have trouble with the twee. That's just me.

But a request. Any chance you can reup those Matthew Sweet bonus tracks from Altered Beasts for us newbies?? I'm intrigued……. Sweet good. Twee not so much….. As always thank you sir.

("Someone To Pull the Trigger" is one truly favorite song. Ahhhhh.)

kevinpat said...

And "Kimi Ga Suki" (Sweet's supposed love letter to Japan) is everything!

Brian said...

Kevinpat,
Tell me what you're looking for... I have B-sides from the singles, as well as Son of Altered Beast and a ton of demos from a two-volume series called Superdeformed. I imagine I have posted much of these through the years. I could throw together another post in the near future.

kevinpat said...

Thanks Brian. I was particular interested in what you posted on June 12, 2012. It was bonus tracks from an Australian Time Capsule single, extra tracks from the Ugly Truth single (although I do have "Ultrasuede") and two tracks from Japanese Altered Beast "Genie" and "Swan Song". Thanks again.

Brian said...

This can be done, Kevinpat. I'll get back to you.